A Great Day For Freedom

We spent this afternoon on the aircraft carrier Intrepid. It has been turn into a museum of itself, of aerospace, and of maritime combat history. It first set to see in 1943, and saw action in the South Pacific. It was the first ship ever hit by a Kamikazi pilot, and although being hit by another, and having 63 sailors killed in the ensuing fires, it limped back to port, was fixed up, and came out fighting once more. It was damaged so many times, every time returning to combat, that it became known as the "Ghost Ship" to it's enemies.

It has many aircraft on it, including a F-14 Tomcat, a Harrier, a MiG-21, and an A-12 Blackbird (early model of the SR-71). There are also displays of the Intrepids involvement with NASA and the Mercury and Gemini projects.

It was a fun afternoon, and I even went on a F-18 "simulator". You can control the motions, but this thing moves you in EVERY direction! Seven hours later, I am still feeling a bit queezy...definitly NOT fighter pilot material...